Pitino, Williams bury the hatchet

But on the Allen Fieldhouse court Dec. 9, 1989, the relationship between two of college basketball's most renowned coaches was decidedly hostile.

Pitino, now the Louisville coach, was in his first year at Kentucky, on the road for the first time with a team that had been devastated by NCAA sanctions. But he refused to stop pressing.

Williams, now the North Carolina coach, was in his second year at Kansas with a loaded team, and he refused to stop running.

The result was a 150-95 Kansas whipping, one of the worst losses in Kentucky history. Pitino steamed through the final minutes.

"I think he only had about eight guys, but they kept pressing and we kept running through it," Williams recalled Friday. "He had some guys foul out. ... It was wild. I hadn't been involved in anything like that. It was a fortunate day for us and an unfortunate day for them."

More than 18 years have passed since that blowout, which engendered some frosty feelings. Williams and Pitino meet again Saturday night in the NCAA tournament East regional final at Bobcats Arena, an eagerly anticipated matchup between Williams' top-seeded Tar Heels and Pitino's third-seeded Cardinals.

They not only have established themselves as two of the most successful coaches in the college game, they have repaired their relationship. Pitino extended the ultimate olive branch to avid golfer Williams: an invitation to play with him, former Arkansas coach Nolan Richardson and former Purdue coach Gene Keady at Shadow Creek in Las Vegas.

"I owe him big-time because I haven't been able to do anything like that for him," Williams said. "The only thing I have for Rick is a great deal of respect, and I mean that sincerely."

Asked about the '89 game, Pitino feigned a memory lapse and joked about his ill-fated NBA coaching days.

"I don't remember even coaching in Boston," he said. "Roy is a good guy. There are no ill feelings. You lose, you lose. You walk out."

Others involved in that game haven't forgotten as quickly.

"I was standing next to coach Pitino when coach Williams yelled down to him, 'Rick, what do you want me to do? We've got the third team in,'" former Kansas forward Mark Randall, who later played for the Bulls, told the Lawrence Journal World and News in 2005. "Coach Pitino shouted an expletive at coach Williams. I think Pitino was trying to prove a point with his team."

The point both coaches will be trying to prove Saturday is that their teams are Final Four-worthy.

"I think it's a Final Four matchup, no question," said Bruce Pearl, whose Tennessee team lost to Louisville in a regional semifinal Thursday night. "Two great teams with great coaches."

Their resumes might be similar, but their personalities would never be confused. This is Mayberry vs. Metropolitan.

Pitino is a stylish New Yorker who favors tailored suits. He grew up a few blocks from Madison Square Garden and retains a distinctive East Coast accent.

Williams is a silver-haired native of Biltmore, N.C., whose "dadgumits" and country twang seem to endear him to recruits from Philadelphia to California.

Their methods may differ, but their success is similar: Whoever wins Saturday will reach the Final Four for the sixth time.

Williams is already fourth on the career list with 46 NCAA tournament victories. Pitino has a slightly higher tournament winning percentage at .750 and is the only coach to take three schools to the Final Four: Providence (once), Kentucky (three times) and Louisville (once).

Their credentials create an argument that can be debated in New York bars or on Carolina front porches for hours, a Magic-or-Bird type debate.

And it makes Williams believe that first game between the coaches won't compare to the latest one.

"As many games as Rick and I have coached," Williams said, "it's way, way down the list."